Microsoft Store Sneak Peek

The banner covering the store front in Beachwood

I get invited to some pretty cool stuff, sometimes because I am a social media nerd, sometimes sheer luck. One of the lucky invites was Thursday night's sneak peak at the Microsoft store in Beachwood. Trust me when I say that the irony is not lost on me as I click away on my MacBook.

The first dig into computers I had was a Radio Shack TRS-80. If you used one you know that it didn't even have a floppy disk yet. No my friends, it had a cassette deck.

My first home computer was an Apple IIe, which had a teeny fraction of the power of my cell phone. THAT had a dual giant floppy disk drive. I then went to a Macintosh Classic - those are the ones that were all one piece that hipsters now turn into fish tanks. I have been a Mac kid ever since. I have a pile of shuffles (damn things are tiny), several different models of iPod.

But...

I own a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 tablet and I love it. I don't have an iPhone.

As much as I love my Apple products, it irritates me that they know it. If you go into an Apple store and, discounting the Genius Bar (those folks are great), the sales kids remind me of the Abercrombie staff. They look pretty, but don't ask them a question.

Ouch. I know, I know. But the last laptop I bought I only purchased from Apple because of my own research. I remember asking the sales kid to sell it to me and she lifted her waif hand and pointed and said, "it is a Mac, and you know it is really awesome and you can listen to iTunes and stuff."

It made my head hurt typing that.

Lots of people looking at lots of flashy stuff

That takes us to the Microsoft store. When I walked in it reminded me of some hybrid of an Apple store and a TGIFridays. Like an Apple store, it was crisp and clean. The lighting was bright and everything was neatly in its place. The difference was in the people. They were excited, maybe a little too excited for my taste, but still, they were happy to be there.

It was obvious that the staff had undergone some sort of customer service program. Everyone greeted me by name (yes, I had a name tag on, but somehow people forget that) and was amazingly helpful and most importantly - knowledgeable.

Cavs coach Byron Scott chatted with us

Cavaliers' coach Byron Scott was in attendance, chatting with the fans, taking a little Q and A. On a side note, I really liked Scott and I hope he stays.  Ahem...

All in all, it was a great event. The staff was fired up beginning to end, and I have to believe they were chugging a five hour-energy laced red bull concoction in the back room to keep the energy up.

I know the Surface is their big push for a tablet, and I'm sorry to say it isn't for me. Windows 8 made my head hurt with all the flipping tiles. Same reason I chucked flip board, I want to be connected when I want to. I don't want the constant reminder of my cousin and her star trek cronies waving from my facebook feed. Yuck.

The laptops however, might actually be a consideration for me. Except for that darn Windows 8. I really, really disliked the tiles.

Give the store a visit, if only to see the employees. They are what impressed me the most that night.